


Good Choices

by graysonsflight



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Under the Red Hood
Genre: AU, English Teacher Jason, Gen, Jason Todd-centric, Teacher Jason Todd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24432082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graysonsflight/pseuds/graysonsflight
Summary: Jason hadn’t always wanted to be a teacher, but one late night after the Red Hood had talked a group of kids out of a little B&E the idea had come out of nowhere and it had stuck. Now, he'sThat English Teacherdoing his best to be a different kind of hero for the kids of Gotham.
Comments: 45
Kudos: 383
Collections: Gotham Square (Batfam Discord Fics)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So... this fic was born of the Batfamily 18+ Discord group throwing around head canons for a Jason Todd who retires from being Red Hood. I fell in love with the idea and then ran with it. Hope you like it as much as I enjoyed making it!

**Quarter 1:**

The first day was always a little hard. Jason adjusted his tie in the mirror of the faculty bathroom. He hated wearing the thing, but he knew it would only be for today and tomorrow. Once he’d met all his new kids, he could ditch it, ease things down to just a dress shirt and slacks.

He hadn’t always wanted to be a teacher, but one late night after the Red Hood had talked a group of kids out of a little B&E the idea had come out of nowhere and it had stuck.

Bruce and Alfred had been thrilled of course, excited and eager to help him fake enough paperwork to get enrolled in a GED program, and then University, and finally a Master’s program. The money wasn’t great or anything, but he was used to living in crappy apartments.

With one last jerk of his suit jacket, Jason headed out the door for bus duty. He didn’t actually _have_ bus duty today – but it had been a little while and…he’d missed the kids. He’d never admit it, not out loud, and definitely not to Dick, but was still true.

“Hey Mr. T! Nice monkey suit!” A kid yelled to him as he passed in the hall. Trevor – a senior this year. Jason had had him as a freshman, and after a year of work finally convinced him to stick it out and stay through senior year.

“Yeah yeah,” he called back. “Go find your homeroom and –”

“Make good choices. I know, I know!”

\---

**Quarter 2:**

“Mr. _Todd_!”

Jason sighed as the sound of his name – _in that tone_ – crashed in through his open classroom door. He hated when they said his name like that. Without thinking he grabbed his already cold coffee mug and trudged out into the hall.

The scene before him left his swearing under his breath. There was a group of kids circled up, two boys hurling insults at each other in the center. He only knew one of them by name – _Dev_ and the kid had already been nailed once for fighting earlier this year, another suspension would leave him out for the rest of the quarter, maybe more. Jason silently thanked the universe he was the only adult around. If he could stop it before punches got thrown…

“Vinny, hold this,” Jason said as he thrust his coffee into the hands of one of his sophomores. The kid took it, eyes going wide.

“But this is your – ”

“Yup, I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Hey!” he called, his voice cutting through air as he pushed his way into the circle. His own nerves spiked with every step he took. He had never gotten over having his back to so many people. “I already had to put down my coffee for this, so let’s break it up!”

Devantè’s eyes flashed to him, adrenaline already thrummed through his system, brown eyes wide as saucers.

“I’m not goin’ to keep taking his shit!”

“Wouldn’t be any to take if you’d mind your business!” the other kid yelled back. They were both tense, the crowd making it so neither one of them were willing to be the first to back down.

“I don’t care _who_ started it,” Jason called, acuity aware of the cellphone cameras all pointed in his direction. “ _I’m_ finishing it.” He shifted his body until he was in between the two of them, Devantè at his back.

“I ain’t scared of you!”

Jason eyed the kid in front him skeptically; he could see the way he pulled back. Cocky exclamations aside the kid was a _little_ scared.

“I don’t want you to be,” Jason responded honestly. “I _want_ you to head to your next class.” Slowly, he turned his head over his shoulder to look Devantè in the eye. “And I want _you_ to head into my room.” When neither one of them budged, Jason let his voice slip down low enough to make even Batman jealous. “ _Now._ ”

Both boys shrunk back, the crowd having already started to dissipate once the collective masses realized who had come to break up the fight.

Jason watched cautiously, continuing to angle his body so that the other kid wouldn’t have been able to get a clear shot at Devantè – even if he’d wanted to. When he was sure it was over, he followed his kid towards the classroom.

“Uh… Mr. Todd?” Vincent stopped him, hands outstretched around Jason’s coffee mug. “A little bit spilled but…”

“You’re good, Vinny,” he said taking the slightly sticky mug back into his hands. “Head to class, yeah?” Vincent nodded, leaning down to pick up his back with a smile.

“I’ll see you fourth!” he called starting to sprint off down the hall.

Jason was tempted to tell him to slow down, but he had bigger fish to fry. With his free hand, he pinched the bridge of his nose; his own adrenaline spent, Jason had to keep counting back from five before he could walk back in his room. He could _hear_ Devantè as he paced the length of the room.

“Man! What was that shit? I had him!” the boy shouted as soon as Jason was over the threshold.

“Use nice words,” he sighed, moving to sit on the edge of his desk, his back pointed to the wall as he watched Devantè continue to burn off his aggression. Jason was about ninety-nine percent sure the kid would never take a swing _at him_ , but he was tired and the borderline paranoia was always hard to shake. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“Luka just doesn’t know when to give it a rest!”

“And?” Jason asked, mentally filing the name _Luka_ away for later. He’d have to figure out his story too.

“And nothing! He just…just…” Devantè slowed down in front of him. “I’m tired of it, you know? Callin’ me nothing, like he’s all high and mighty just because he’s apartment’s outta the Narrows.”

_Ah._ Now they were getting somewhere.

“And then he starts going after Cat? Nah, man. I’m not going to take that.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Jason mumbled, scrubbing his had over his face. He knew how protective Devantè was of his kid sister, but his curse startled the kid enough to make him laugh.

“Thought I had to use _nice words_?” he asked with a little smirk crawling up onto his face.

“ _You_ do,” Jason replied. “You get yourself a Master’s degree and you can use whatever words you want.”

“Mr. T, you and I both know I’m not getting outta here.”

Jason’s stomach clenched. He and Devantè _had_ been talking about school lately. The kid had been interested in social work ever since he and his sister had started getting check-ins from school. Jason was pretty sure that their mom was using again, but they hadn’t been able to prove it and both Dev and Cat had been pretty tight lipped about it.

“Listen to me,” Jason said, setting his coffee down to go and stand beside him. “You _know_ I’m going to be here for you no matter what – and this kid _Luka_? He’s not worth this.”

“He just makes me so _angry_.”

“I hear you, and you’re allowed to be angry – but you can’t let it control you.” Jason knew what it was like to be angry – _God_ did he know, and he wished more than _anything_ that he could explain himself more but there were boundaries even he had to follow.

“It sucks man.”

“It does,” he agreed, reaching a hand out to clap Dev on the shoulder.

“I want to go to school,” he whispered, his voice so quiet Jason had to lean in to hear it. He could feel the little pieces of his heart starting to splinter. “But this shit is hard.”

“I know,” Jason agreed, letting the curse slide – because this _did_ suck and it _was_ shit. “But what’s our deal?”

Devantè sighed, his eyes rolling to the ceiling. “I keep my nose clean.”

“And?”

“And I get my grades up.”

“ _And?”_

“I come see you if I’m having a hard time?”

Jason hummed in agreement, heading back to his desk to grab a stack of passes.

“You get that diploma, and I’ll make sure you can afford college.”

“ _How?”_

“I know people,” Jason answered with a smirk. “Where are you supposed to be anyway? You need a few more minutes?”

“I’m supposed to be in Gov. – but can I ask you something first?”

“Yeah, kid. Shoot.” Jason watched as the Dev’s face twisted up with something between confusion and disappointment.

“You don’t think I’m tough?”

“Where the hell did you get an idea like that?” Jason asked, genuinely surprised.

“You put your back to me man. Everyone knows you face the real threat head on.” Jason had to try not to laugh. Because he was _right_ . In a fight with more than one opponent, you always had to do the math quickly: decide who was most likely to do the most damage, take them out first. But _now_? Jason had had to learn to look at things a little differently.

“Dev,” he started, his voice soft. “Were you going to hit me?”

“No! I’d never – ” he stopped, his mouth open as he looked at Jason.

“When you trust someone, you give them your back all the time.” The kid’s mouth snapped shut with a pop.

“You…you trust me?”

“Oh course I do,” Jason said honestly. “And you’re one of the toughest kids I’ve ever met.” It was true; regardless of all the Supers Jason had ever met, Devantè Alvarez was stronger – strong in a way a kid should never have to be.

“Thanks Mr. T,” Dev mumbled, his shoulder slumping down, not defeated, but still tired. “For you know… gettin’ in between.”

“I got you, kid,” Jason promised. “Now let’s get you to Gov. I don’t want Ms. Washington on _my_ case too.” Devantè laughed as Jason finished writing out the pass, taking it with one of his huge smiles. He got as far as the door before Jason stopped him again, calling out: “Devantè – make – ”

“ _Good choices_ ,” the kid cut him off with a laugh. “I know, I know. I’ll work on it.”

Jason smirked as he watched him go, listening to the sounds of his sneakers smack across the hallway. When he was sure he’d made it to the stairs, Jason final turned back to finish his grading.


	2. Moose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jason finds his Moose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, I have no goals here. Sometimes, you're just going to get more of Jason Todd being a teacher. I really appreciate all the comments on this - I am so happy you enjoyed it so far!

**Quarter 3:**

Jason had just gotten done explaining the importance of the moose in the Alaskan fable _Two Old Women_. He loved the symbolic push to always chase after your dreams and fight for them no matter what, even if it seemed impossible. He had _hoped_ that his kids would have felt the connection, would have been stirred to keep pushing through this quarter, which had, admittedly been dragging a bit. Instead what he got were a lot of glazed over faces, two kids trying to surreptitiously sneak glances at their phones, and one out cold with their face pressed into the fake wood of his desktop. _Right_.

“So,” he stared, moving carefully though the room. He rapped his knuckles lightly on Avie’s desk as he walked by, startling her awake just a little. “Anybody have any questions?” He was pretty sure they wouldn’t, when all of a sudden Drew’s hand shot into the air. “Yeah?” he asked cautiously.

“So… I’ve decided. I’m gonna catch a moose.”

“N- no…?” Jason offered, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

“Nah, I’m totally going to do it,” Drew said confidently, his shit-eating grin about a mile long. His buddy Gavin wore a matching one. Jason was starting to worry what the kid had been looking at on his phone.

“Listen, guys, don’t go chasing after a moose in real life, okay? It’s just a metaphor.” Jason made a mental note to add that line to his list of things he never thought he would have to say to his students. “They’re dangerous and they’d just like to be left alone.” Honestly, at this exact moment, Jason sympathized with the moose.

“Okay but, we’re gonna get you a moose,” Gavin added on, the rest of the class dissolving into fits of laughter by this point. Jason just scrubbed his hands over his face. At least they were all paying attention now.

“All right, ya’ little jackalopes,” he sighed. “Get your independent reading books out. I think I’ve had all I can take today.” The kids continued to laugh at him, but they listened, after a while settling into their own books.

He hoped this would be the last time he had to tell his kids not to chase after a moose.

\---

A week later, Jason walked into first block, a fresh coffee in his hand to find half of the kids already in their desks. It was a welcome surprise, but like any former Batkid worth his salt, Jason was instantly suspicious.

“Hey, Mr. T!” Drew called to him. “So Gavin and I have been doing some thinking.”

“Oh?” Jason asked warily. “Usually a good idea when you’re in school.”

“Yeah! About your moose!” Gavin chimed in. Jason wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the kid this happy.

“ _Oh for f…”_ Jason sighed. “ _Guys_ , it’s just a metaphor.”

“Right, but like, what if it wasn’t?”

“You’re not going to get them to stop,” a girl, Maggie, added in exhaustedly from across the room. “They’ve been at it all morning.”

“So yeah, this moose – ”

“Okay, lemme stop you right there,” Jason said, holding the hand not protecting his coffee up pleadingly. “Can we negotiate this moose thing?”

The two boys looked at each other, a silent conversation taking place before Drew turned back to him with a nod.

“We’re listening,” he said. _Good_ because the last thing Jason needed was for these two knuckleheads to get themselves killed chasing moose.

“Great, so there can be a moose –”

“YES!” they high fived triumphantly.

“So long as it can fit under my desk, yeah?” Jason finished, raising his voice just a little to be heard over their celebration.

“Bad move, Teach…” Maggie added in. “ _Bad move._ ”

Jason shrugged it off as best he could, praying for the first time that his students would _lack_ the attention span and follow through to get something done. It was a strange feeling, but he figured, worse case scenario, he’d end up with a moose stuffed animal for his classroom. Because really, how bad could it be?

\---

It had been a really rough morning and Jason had never been happier for it to be a Friday. Walked into the English office, instantly grateful to whichever one of his blessed coworkers had already started the coffee pot.

“Hey Jay,” his department head, Carlos, called with a wave. “You look like you’ve had a morning?”

Jason groaned in reply as he pulled his mug from the dish rack and immediately dumped three heaping spoons of sugar into the bottom.

“I had to buy jeans at Wal-Mart this morning,” he said.

“You… _what_?” Meg asked as she took his mug away from him before he could add any more sugar. She poured his coffee and handed it back to him with a raised brow.

“I stopped to get coffee today because I didn’t sleep much last night,” Jason sighed, holding his steaming mug up to his temple. He’d been up trying to finish grading the stupid assessment the district level admins had handed down. “And as I was walking out I dumped it.” He motioned towards his crotch dismissively.

“ _Oh God_ ,” Carlos murmured, holding his own coffee closer as if to protect it from the same fate.

“Anyway, the stain was going to be bad and there was no way in _hell_ I was going to walk into a _high school_ with wet pants.”

“No, these kids would have eaten you alive. Are you – ” Meg paused, looking at the open door, her mouth twisting into a smirk. “Uh-oh, Todd. That’s one of yours.” She pointed with her chin as Jason turned to the door. Sure enough _one of his_ stood there, hopping anxiously from foot to foot.

“Gabbs?” he asked, honestly a little afraid of what she had to say. There was just _a look_ in her eyes.

“Uh, hey Mr. Todd,” she said, still bouncing. “Sorry to interrupt the coffee thing, but you need to come to the room.”

“What’s in the room?”

“Umm…” she hedged, looking down to his coffee. “Nothing bad but…you’re probably going to want to come back for t _hat_.”

Jason squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying as hard as he could not to start swearing in front of the kid.

“You want some back up?” Carlos asked, but Jason could hear the laughter in his voice.

“No,” he sighed, setting his mug down and following Gabriella down the hallway. The closer they got to his room – door _suspiciously open_ – the louder the laughter got.

Jason steeled his nerves, mentally preparing himself for anything life was looking to throw his way this morning. He had been a _vigilante_ damn it! He had gone _toe-to-toe_ with some of the worst that Gotham had to offer; high schoolers should not make him nervous.

“Mr. T! Mr. T!” Drew shrieked, grinning like an idiot as he came sprinting from the room. “We got your moose!” _Oh no._ Jason stopped mid-stride.

“It can fit under my desk, _right_?” he demanded.

“Uh…I mean…? It _could?_ ”

Completely unconvinced, Jason started moving again, the two kids hot on his heels. He flew into the room, eyes scanning for trouble. What he found was _all_ of his first block class standing around, trying and failing to keep straight faces. All of them were here _except…_

“ _Gavin?_ ” he asked, his voice loud enough to carry the length of the room – and apparently enough to set off a new wave of laughter from the rest of his kids.

“I think he’s stuck!” Alecea offered, tears in her eyes. Jason heard muffled cursing and a whole lot of bumping and banging coming from the back corner of the room – coming from _his desk_. Before he could make up his mind to move closer a fuzzy brown lump shoved its way from beneath it, jumping like a possessed teddy bear from the floor.

“ _MOOOOOOOSSSSEEE!”_ Gavin bellowed, dressed head to toe in a moose suit, complete with wobbling antlers that shook as the boy danced. “ _MOOOOSEEEE!”_

Truthfully, Jason was actually kind of impressed they’d managed to fit the six-foot eleventh grader under a desk. He couldn’t help the surprised laughter that escaped from his chest. The kids around him cheered.

“See, Mr. T, told you we’d catch a moose,” Drew said beaming as he came forward. “Like the old ladies, right? Something to keep going for?”

Jason just kept laughing as he patted the kid on the shoulder. Yeah. He’d found his moose all right.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to _everyone_ who contributed to this wild ride - but especially to Batbirdies who actually came up with English Teacher Jason, and Maggie and Po when _went off_. I sincerely appreciate all kudos, comments, and bookmarks. If you're interested - you can catch me over on [tumblr](https://gothamsgrace.tumblr.com/).


End file.
